Wow (Bad boat handling video)

I've seen some pretty inept boat handling in the past years, but nothing like this. I would have to think alcohol was a factor...no one in their right mind would continue on down the line of docked yachts knowing you're going to kiss every one of them..right?

bad day at dana point harbor memorial day 2013 - YouTube

Kinda makes one wonder if that "skipper" was drunk or inexperienced, or both?

Fun video to watch but I wouldn't want him near my boat.

Anyone know the story on this? That was incredibly painful to watch.

In fairness, the wind was significant blowing right to left, and he had a lot of sail area. But he's still responsible to know how to deal with it. The guy in the cockpit using his leg to fend off was not too smart.

I've been known to dock by braille. But I tend limit feeling my way through by bouncing off pilings and docks, not other boats.

High Wire said:

The guy in the cockpit using his leg to fend off was not too smart.

Click to expand...

I witnessed a woman have her leg torn off doing that about 6-7 years ago at Port Credit Yacht Club.

That was tough to watch!

I returned to my double slip last weekend after a day cruise with friends. I have a double slip, but there has not been a tenant in the other half of the slip since I moved in during August 2013. This day, there was a new boat in the adjoining slip. No problem, I thought.

We pulled into our slip uneventfully until Meg reached for the pre-positioned slip lines. They were gone! Turns out that my new neighbor tried moving into my slip, arguing with my marina neighbors that it was HIS slip, and removed my preset lines to attach his own.

According to my marina buddies, his efforts to get his newly purchased 32 Bayliner into the slip took every bit of 40 minutes! Apparently he came close to careening into the Coast Guard boats docked immediately behind us. He told the guys it was the first 'big' boat he has owned and was still learning the ropes.

AFAIK, he hasn't left the slip since he's arrived. I've got my fenders deployed and lines rigged in a way to help fend him off in the event that he decides to go for a joy ride. I'm hoping his next foray into 'big boating' doesn't result in collateral damage to nearby vessels like mine.

I take it you got your lines back? What a nimrod!

Giggitoni said:

I take it you got your lines back? What a nimrod!

Click to expand...

Yes, the port stern and spring lines were found spooled at the base of my swimstep and the stbd stern line was taken off the hose bib and stretched out on the dock. On top of all that, he looked me in the eyes and twice denied pulling into my slip or touching my lines even though the slip buddies watched him.

Nimrod is putting it lightly!!

Al, I can imagine you biting your nails worrying about the possible/probable antics of your new neighbor. You have my sympathy.

Greetings,
Mr. FW. Would it be possible for the marina management to put him in another slip until he "learns the ropes" or at least he learns not to touch ropes? If it's his first 'big' boat could be he's never been in a marina before and hasn't learned any of the protocol. Not sayin' he's not a trouble maker and I fully appreciate your very valid concerns but maybe he's just nervous and uptight. Still no reason to lie but we don't know what his circumstances are.

Watching the video, I was disgusted by the comments. There's no telling what was going on, the boat might have had mechanical problems or the captain might have had a medical emergency and someone else was left to dock the boat. Or, the captain may have just been inexperienced as someone pointed out.

What the people taking the video did not do is go down the dock and see if there was a way to help this person dock the boat or get out, whichever he/she was trying to do.

At my marina, we try to help each other. None of us was born with the skills to manuver a boat in tight spaces.

I don't want to make any assumptions, so we can only view the video for what it is. A snapshot, a brief moment -
I experienced a bad situation with wind, however, everyone involved remained calm and reacted appropriately. From a spectators box seat I would have said that this Captain should have hung up the towel and practiced outside of the marina, hiring someone to assist him/her out of dock. Take your time, allow the boat to tell you what it is doing, don't force a bad docking, etc. This person appears to not have a handle on docking at all.

I myself am no expert and have learned that I know enough that I don't know everything I need to know.

WesK said:

Watching the video, I was disgusted by the comments. There's no telling what was going on, the boat might have had mechanical problems or the captain might have had a medical emergency and someone else was left to dock the boat. Or, the captain may have just been inexperienced as someone pointed out.

What the people taking the video did not do is go down the dock and see if there was a way to help this person dock the boat or get out, whichever he/she was trying to do.

At my marina, we try to help each other. None of us was born with the skills to manuver a boat in tight spaces.

Click to expand...

A medical emergency with a passenger casually poised in the cockpit? Not likely. Could he have been coming in single engine in a twin boat? Possible.

There were folks in his line of attack that were positioned to help. One finally was able to board the boat to apparently help. I would not want my wife or passengers to get in the way of a boat careening down the fairway. I'd instruct them to stay back for their own safety.

My solution would be - get close, yell for help, toss a line or lines to people on the dock and muscle that baby into the slip.

Embarrassing, for sure. But not nearly as embarrassing or expensive as what we were looking at.

We had a slip in Dana Point for three years and the afternoon wind coming over Dana Head is something to deal with. When going to Catalina we bypass Dana Point and go on to Newport Harbor for a guest slip.

I'm pleased to have a single-boat slip with the boat's stern not extending into the fairway. Overhead coverage isn't everything.

Al, get yourself/FlyWright to K dock! There are lots of vacancies here. And it would be easier to visit.

It appears Dana Point can be a tad tricky to maneuver, especially during an unusually strong tide...

Close Call for $2,000,000+ Yaht in Dana Point Harbor Tsunami - YouTube

BoomerangIII said:

It appears Dana Point can be a tad tricky to maneuver, especially during an unusually strong tide...

Click to expand...

One option is to time your exit and return for slack tide.

FlyWright said:

........... Could he have been coming in single engine in a twin boat? Possible. .

Click to expand...

Or a broken shift cable, transmission problem, throttle problem. I've seen these at my marina and I've seen a few boat crashes there because of mechanical problems.

As I posted above, we jump to help if we can. It might be us the next time.

BoomerangIII said:

It appears Dana Point can be a tad tricky to maneuver, especially during an unusually strong tide... Close Call for $2,000,000+ Yaht in Dana Point Harbor Tsunami - YouTube

Click to expand...

Well captain obvious to the rescue. :lol:

N4712 said:

Well captain obvious to the rescue. :lol:

Click to expand...

Ahhhh, the sweet sarcasm rears it's ugly head....haha

BoomerangIII said:

Ahhhh, the sweet sarcasm rears it's ugly head....haha

Click to expand...

My bad quoted the wrong post. It was supposed to be the one about coming in on slack tide. Sincere apologies.

N4712 said:

My bad outed the wrong post. It was supposed to be the one about coming in on slack tide.

Sincere apologies.

Click to expand...

No worries

markpierce said:

Al, get yourself/FlyWright to K dock! There are lots of vacancies here. And it would be easier to visit.

Click to expand...

Thanks, but no thanks! Today I worked on transferring fuel and replacing fuel shut off valves through the lazarrette hatch in my cockpit. I was shaded and protected from the wind. It was very comfortable.

Tonight I'm here with the aft doors wide open, enjoying the thunderstorm that's currently passing through. It's wild with very heavy rain and loads of lightning. I'm standing here warm and dry as can be, enjoying the show. It's magical!

Try doing that on K Dock!

Maybe it's time to give this guy some lessons

Al, If this guy is not a total ahole. You might offer to give him a few lessons in boat handling. Who knows it might actually save you angst of hearing him deny removing large chunks of your swim platform. Or another approach would be to invest in some of those fenders designed for stern in docking to protect your boarding platform and a 1/2 doz large round fenders between boats. at least he didn't hook your hose and shore to his boat. Had that happen.

Boat handling skills can be rapidly developed in others.

In a marina where I lived some of the folks were very casual entering and leaving a slip.

Yes there was a good tide but only a bit of concentration would do the trick.

The local used boat store TRADER JOHN purchased a pile of safety gear from the Waldorf Astoria .

There was few dozen 10 ft pikes , painted red.

Boat hooks have friendly ends , the pike ends in a steel sharp point.

By sending a lady friend to the bow to hold the pike with a helpful look on her face , arrivals and departures at full flood or ebb, a lack of contact was assured.